


A Short Stay in 3490

by Midnight675



Category: Marvel, Marvel (Comics), Marvel 3490, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Earth-3490, M/M, mcu/ 3490 crossover
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-17
Updated: 2019-04-17
Packaged: 2020-01-15 17:16:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,805
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18503476
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Midnight675/pseuds/Midnight675
Summary: MCU Steve finds himself in another dimension by some cosmic accident and while there he meets another version of himself that gives him a little perspective.orMCU Steve goes to earth 3490 and we all know what that means.





	A Short Stay in 3490

**Author's Note:**

> Honestly Chole, don't read this one.

Steve wasn't sure how he had gotten there, one second he was having yet another fight with Tony about what was “the right thing to do” the next he was standing in a lab that looked eerily close to the one Tony used to work out of in the tower...but not close enough. In the first couple minutes he was just confused as to where he was, but it wasn't long before he ran into another version of himself in what looked like the living room of Avengers tower. This quickly led him to the conclusion that he was in another dimension. It wasn't necessarily something that Steve really understood, dimensional travel, but he was an avenger, weird incomprehensible adventures were kind of part of the job. After a short talk with the other him and a lot of rethinking his world view, he was able to wrap his mind around it, as much as he ever was going to be able to at least. Lucky for him, this other Steve seemed to have a bit more experience than he did. 

“I’m sorry to have inconvenienced you” the other Steve motioned for Steve to take a seat. “….my wife has been doing some experiments with dimensional travel recently...I guess something went off while she was out. When she gets back we can sort all of this out.” He reassuringly put his hand on Steve’s shoulder and nodded but in the haze of new information, there was only one thing that Steve retained. 

“You’re married?” 

The other Steve smiled in a sort of love sick way. It was weird for Steve seeing this expression on what basically amounted to his own face. 

“I take it from that question that you’re not?” 

Steve prime shrugged, almost apologetically. 

“There’s not really a lot of time for romance in war and I've been in the war since I went rogue in World War II. There just always seems to be something in need of protection or something to fight.” Steve realized at that moment that he hadn't put that into words in a while and it sounded a lot sadder than he remembered. But, It was like he was always telling Tony, the good of the others always had to come first...not that that had really worked out very well for him in the past. He thought back, all the way to the Avengers split. There wasn't a day that went by that he didn't wish that could have gone another way, a day that he didn't wish he could have convinced Tony to join him....a day that he doesn't wish he had just swallowed his pride and signed the damn paper. But he did what was right….didn't he?

The other Steve, who had been watching him as he went through all of these thoughts started to get a little worried. He wasn't sure what Steve prime had gone through but he knew doubt and regret when he saw it, he had seen a lot of it. 

“That sounds like a pretty tiring life,” he said softly. 

“It is” There was a pause, then Steve prime decided to change the subject. “So your wife, who is she?” The other steve regained that smile.

“Natasha” he said it like Steve prime knew her.

Steve wasn't sure what he expected but it wasn't that. 

“You married Romanoff?!” he blurted out without thinking. He loved Natasha..but he never thought that he would date her,much less marry her. That's just not what their relationship was like. The other Steve almost laughed.

“What? No Nata-” He was cut off by the sound of the elevator door arriving on their floor and a boisterous woman stepping out of it.

“Honey, I’m home!” She called sarcastically. She certainly didn't sound like Steve's Natasha, maybe it was a dimensional thing. “Steve your not going to believe this but in my amazingness, I think I cracked dimensional travel on my drive home from the store” her voice got louder as she approached the living room. “See I was trying to-” She stopped dead when she reached the doorway and could clearly see the two Steves that were sitting in it. 

“You know dear, I think you already cracked it,” The other Steve said raising his eyebrows at her. Steve prime shifted uncomfortably in his seat and debated whether or not he should introduce himself. From just looking at her he knew that this was not Natasha Romanoff, new dimension or not. In fact, he didn't know who she was but there was something about her that was familiar. There was something about her eyes and the way she carried herself, he knew he had seen it somewhere before. She stood speechless for only a second before she was back on top of the situation. 

“First of all, this,” She motioned with her finger between the three of them. “would be super hot if you two are up for it-”

“Natasha..” The other Steve groaned through a facepalm. 

“Second, how in the hell did you get here mystery Steve?” Natasha was quick to drop the bags she had been carrying by the door and was now leaning down almost to Steve's eye level soaking up every detail of his face.

At this point, the other Steve stepped in and pulled his wife away from Steve long enough to introduce her. 

“Steve Rogers, I would like you to meet my wife, Natasha Stark” 

Stark, he just said Stark

“Yes, Stark” Crap did I say that out loud? “Do you know her in your world?”

Steve wasn't really sure how to answer that question. He knew A Stark but their relationship was nothing like this. Sure, there was a time when they were close and Steve would be lying if he said he hadn't thought about it but...he and Tony...that just wasn't even a possibility.

“Well...sort of.” Steve blushed a little “In my universe, his name is Tony”

The other Steve didn't seem that weirded out by this. 

“Hmm well, I guess all the dimensions have their differences.” He leaned down and greeted Natasha with a kiss. They stayed together for just a moment. When the other Steve pulled away he just caught Steve’s eyes as he broke a stare. He must have seen the longing in his eyes, felt something that Steve couldn't put into words, because he leaned down and whispered something in Natasha's ear and she left, giving Steve prime a weary look on the way out. 

“Natasha's going to go see if she can figure out how to send you home but until then...forgive me if its too far but what's it like over in your world?” The other Steve resumed his seat across from Steve. 

“At this moment it's not doing great, a couple years back the avengers split and when it really mattered, we couldn't get back together...it was all because of this stupid argument I had with Tony…” It always seemed to come back to that. Steve felt the weight of all of it on his shoulders as he remembered the way that the world had blown away in front of him. Usually he didn't like to play the ‘what if’ game but he couldn't help but wonder what might have happened if they had all been together when Thanos arrived. 

 

“So you and Tony...are you close?”

“Sometimes, we haven't been the most honest with each other over the years. When I think about it now we never really got the chance to let trust build before we split. At this point I'm not sure we will ever trust each other.” Steve was now firmly examining the ground. “But it wasn't all bad. For a few years in there we really were friends. Maybe if things had gone differently we could have been more but…”Steve lost his nerve and let the words evaporate before he could say that they were doomed out loud.

“Do me a favor Mr. Rogers,” The other Steve said in a hushed tone, “give him a chance. I can't stand to see myself this miserable and if your Tony is anything like my Natasha, I promise you that he needs this just as much as you do.” 

Steve let the thought sink in but wasn't really sure that this other Steve knew what he was saying. He had hurt Tony, a lot, and they were such different people he was certain that there was no way that he and Tony didn't end in disaster. Of course, he didn't say this to the other Steve, he only nodded and made a promise that he didn't intend to keep. Whether he knew that Steve was lying or not the other Steve left it there. For a moment Steve thought the other Steve was going to ask him another question but before the words made it to his lips Natasha re-appeared at the doorway. She was now inexplicably covered in what Steve could only assume was motor oil. This was definitely the female embodiment of Tony Stark. 

“Alright other Steve, you ready to go home?” She asked, already beckoning him down to her lab. He followed but as he walked down he noticed a few things he missed on his way up, namely all of the pictures of the other Steve and Natasha that were placed around the tower. There were pictures of their wedding and framed newspapers with pictures of them fighting side by side, pictures of big events and little ones peppered the walls. The walls spoke and they told of their great adventures together and in every story they looked happier that Steve had felt in years. It really gave him something to think about. When his eyes finally drifted from the walls his gaze landed on them, walking together as one.

When they reached the lab Natasha pointed Steve to an x marked on the floor and began to set up her equipment. As she did she rambled about how everything worked and tried to explain what was going to happen when she sent him back. It didn't help much, but then again Steve had never been good with this kind of stuff.

“So when this baby goes off” she patted a pointy ray machine that was pointed directly at Steve, “it is going to analyze your molecules and find the dimension that you belong to and send you back there. Also, just a warning,, you may flash through a few other dimensions on your way, dont worry about it, by the end you will back at home ready to keep doing whatever it is that you do. Are you ready?” she waited for his answer as she moved her hand over the activation key in anticipation. Meanwhile, the other Steve held out his hand and Steve took it. 

“Remember what I told you” He nodded knowingly at Steve who returned the gesture, a little more open to his idea this time than he had been the last. He then looked at Natasha and told her he was ready. 

“Well then Captain Rogers, we are sending you home”

Bam. 

Steve felt the pressure all over his body before anything else. Then suddenly he was numb.. This trip was different then it had been when he came in. This time he could see into the other dimensions as he passed and what he saw amazed him. In every single dimension he phased through, he was there with Tony. In one they were fighting beside each other during a big war and in another they were in a college dorm room just enjoying eachothers company. There was one where they ran Shield together and even one where they were cowboys slow dancing in an old saloon but in every single universe that flashed before his eyes Steve saw him and Tony together, against the odds. It reminded him of those old stories of soul mates. It was almost overwhelming. 

Then suddenly it was over and he was dropped back into the common room in the Avengers compound. Steve groaned as he hit the floor, apparently dimensional travel has the added bonus of making one a bit lightheaded. 

“Rogers!” Steve heard Tony yell as he started to sit up. He must not have been gone long seeing as Tony hadn't seemed to have moved from where Steve left him. “What the hell just happened? Where did you go? I mean one minute we are having an argument and the next you just disappear!” Tony rushed over to help Steve up off the floor and Steve only kind of heard what he was saying. 

However, he was pulled out of his trance the moment he saw Tony, really saw him. Before he could stop him Steve wrapped his arms around him. At first Tony was stiff but after getting over the initial shock he seemed to give in and hugged Steve back. 

Without pulling away Steve started giving voice to the only lucid thoughts he had in the moment   
“We have to stop fighting each other.” His voice came out desperate “The only way that we are ever going to do anything right is if we learn how to do it together.” He pulled away and looked Tony directly in the eyes. He looked shocked and maybe a little scared, Steve expected nothing less. “I’m sorry Tony, I know that I have done a lot of things that I shouldn't have...I've let my pride get the best of me but...I want to start over, to be better. I am asking you to give me that chance.” 

Tony looked him up and down. The shock on his face only grew but the fear disappeared. 

“What did you just see Steve?” he asked, awestruck that the man who once tried to kill him was now so keen to make up. 

“I saw everything, every timeline, every alternate world and in every single one of them where we were winning, we were fighting together. I think..I think that's the way it's supposed to be.” Steve confessed, hoping to heaven that Tony believed him. 

“So what does that mean then? Are we like soul bonded or something?” He asked the question sarcastically but didn't bother to move his face from its position about three inches from Steve’s. 

Steve shrugged “Something like that”

Clearly Tony didn't expect his comment to be taken seriously but when it was he let the ramifications of it sink in. His composure changed from one of disbelief to one of contemplation.

“Well...then how do I know that I can trust you, Steve? soul-bonded or not we haven't exactly had the best track record when it came to working together.” 

Steve decided it was best to be honest. 

“You don't, but if you are will to let me, I am willing to try to make it up to you” Steve couldn't tell what was going on behind Tony’s eyes now but he knew it was important. When he finally answered Steve was relieved.

“Alright Steve, we'll give it one more chance” and with that, they shook hands.  
It was a small gesture but it was the start of something bigger. It is amazing what a little cosmic context can do, even for the most serious feuds. When the next big fight came, they fought together and they won. This time around they trusted each other a little bit more and they were a little more patient, over time they started to realize why they were always together across the multiverse. They still fought, they wouldn't be them if they didn't, but now they always had that little voice in their heads reminding them that they were better when they were together that kept them from splitting up again. 

Steve also had his own message that never truly left his brain, in another universe, possibly several, he married this man and in little ways, he started to understand why. It was almost six months before Steve really realized that he was in love with him and another year before he asked him out but when he finally got up the courage Tony said yes. Another few years and they were married and Steve was blissfully in love. Every once and a while he would think of the other Steve as he sat awake at night with Tony asleep next to him. He wished he could tell him how much he had done for him but he knew he would probably never get the chance. Instead, he would just lay down next to his husband and lets his gentle breaths guide him to sleep. It was a long road but man is he glad that they made it.


End file.
